A free business website can be worth it, as long as you know what “free” includes and what it will cost you over time. For most UK small businesses, the real question is not free or paid. It is which option gives you the most for your money over the next two years.

In this guide I will run through the pros and cons of a free business site, then compare the total cost of three common routes over 24 months: a DIY website builder on a paid plan, a one-off professional build with hosting, and a free build with a monthly fee. Then I will be honest about who each one suits.

What a free business website usually means

There are two main types of free website for small business owners.

• A builder’s free plan. Platforms such as Wix, WordPress.com, Google Sites and Square Online let you publish a basic site for nothing. Expect the platform’s ads or branding, a subdomain rather than your own web address on most of them, and limited features.
• A free build with a monthly fee. A web designer builds the site at no upfront cost, and you pay a monthly amount for hosting and support, usually over a minimum term.

The first is genuinely free but limited. The second spreads the cost over time instead of asking for a large payment upfront. Both are legitimate, as long as the terms are clear.

The pros of a free business site

• No large upfront bill. Cash flow matters, especially when you are starting out or growing. Spreading costs, or avoiding them for now, keeps money in the business.
• You get online quickly. A builder free plan can have you live within a day or two.
• Low risk for testing an idea. If you are trialling a side business or new service, a free site lets you see whether there is interest before you invest.
• Someone else handles the tech. On a free build with a monthly fee, hosting, security and updates are usually looked after for you.

The cons you should weigh up

• Looking less established. Builder ads and a long subdomain do not inspire confidence when a customer is comparing you with a competitor.
• Limits on growth. Taking payments, bookings and email marketing usually need paid upgrades on builder plans.
• Being tied to a platform. Sites on hosted builders generally cannot be moved elsewhere. If you leave, you rebuild.
• Contracts. A free build with a monthly fee will normally have a minimum term. That is fine if you know it and plan for it.
• No ongoing content. This is the big one. Most free websites, of either type, are built once and then left. A site with no new content rarely grows its visibility on Google.

The real cost over two years

Here is a simple comparison over 24 months. Builder prices vary by platform, billing period and offers, so I have used a range rather than a single figure. Our own prices are as listed at the time of writing.

Option	Upfront	Ongoing	Approximate 24-month total	Includes ongoing content?
DIY builder, paid plan	£0	Around £15 to £25 a month, plus a domain	£360 to £600, plus domain and your time	No, you write it yourself
One-off build plus hosting	From £895	Hosting and updates from £39.95 a month	From £1,853.80	No
Our free build with a monthly fee	£0	£59 + VAT a month, 24-month minimum term	£1,416	Yes, 24 SEO blog posts

How the numbers add up

• DIY builder: 24 x £15 = £360, up to 24 x £25 = £600. Add a domain, usually around £5 to £15 a year for a .co.uk, and the hours you spend building, updating and writing.
• One-off build: our standard websites start from £895. Add our hosting, which starts at £39.95 a month: 24 x £39.95 = £958.80. Total: £895 + £958.80 = £1,853.80.
• Free build: 24 x £59 = £1,416 plus VAT, which covers secure UK hosting, technical updates (WordPress, plugin and security updates) and one SEO blog post written and published for you every month.

It is also worth remembering what each figure buys you. The builder plan gives you the tools and nothing else. The one-off build gives you a professionally designed site and keeps it secure and updated. The free build gives you a professionally designed site, keeps it secure and updated, and adds a new SEO blog post every month for the whole term.

The DIY route is clearly the cheapest in pounds. But it does not include your time, and it does not include anyone writing content for you. If you value your time at even a modest hourly rate, the gap narrows quickly.

Why the monthly blog changes the maths

A website on its own is a shop window on a quiet street. Content is what brings people past it. Each useful blog post is another page that can appear in Google when someone searches a question related to your business, such as how much a service costs, how to choose a supplier or what to expect from a job.

Most free website deals do not include any ongoing content. You get a site, and it is up to you to keep it fresh. In practice, busy business owners rarely find the time, so the site stays exactly as it was on launch day.

With our free website, one SEO blog post is written and published for you every month as part of the £59 + VAT monthly fee. Over the 24-month minimum term, that is 24 posts your site would not otherwise have. If you were to commission that writing separately, it would cost a meaningful amount on its own, which is why we think of the blog as the core of the offer rather than an extra.

Which option suits which business

A DIY builder suits you if

• You are testing an idea or just starting out with very little budget
• You enjoy building things yourself and have the time
• You are happy to write your own content and learn the SEO basics

A one-off build suits you if

• You prefer to pay once for the build rather than commit to a contract for it
• You want a more tailored design or more complex features
• You already have content handled, or plan to add SEO separately

Our free build suits you if

• You want a professional site without a large upfront payment
• You are comfortable with £59 + VAT a month on a 24-month minimum term
• You want your site to keep growing with fresh content, without writing it yourself

Frequently asked questions

Is a free business website professional enough?

A builder’s free plan usually is not, because of the ads and subdomain. A professionally built site on a free build with a monthly fee can look just as good as a paid build. What matters is the design, the content and your own domain name.

What is the cheapest way to get a business website?

A builder’s free plan costs nothing, and a paid builder plan is usually the cheapest way to get your own domain without ads. Remember to count your time and the cost of keeping content fresh.

Do I own my website on a free build with a monthly fee?

Ownership terms vary between suppliers, so always ask before signing. Make sure your domain is registered in your own name and that you are clear on what happens to the site if you move on.

What does the Delivered Social free website include?

The design and build of a five page website is free. You pay £59 + VAT a month on a 24-month minimum term, which covers secure UK hosting, technical updates and one SEO blog post written and published for you every month.

Talk to us about the right website for your business

If you are trying to work out which option makes the most sense for you, we are happy to talk it through honestly. Find out more about our free business website (free five page build, £59 + VAT a month, 24-month minimum term), compare it with our one-off website design, or get in touch and we will help you choose.